Dar es Salaam. The Chanzo journalist and Creative Lead, Joseph Kirati, has been named Best Photojournalist of the Year 2025 at the Excellence in Journalism Awards Tanzania (EJAT), organized by the Media Council of Tanzania(MCT).
The awards ceremony was held in Dar es Salaam on Friday, May 29, 2026 bringing together journalists, media leaders, and stakeholders from across the country to celebrate outstanding achievements in journalism.
During the event, several journalists were recognized for excellence in reporting, photography, and storytelling. The overall winner of the 2025 awards was Simon Martha Mkina of the online newspaper Pambazuko, who was honored for his exceptional journalistic work.
Kirati earned the prestigious photojournalism award for his compelling visual reporting on the plight of residents of Nyatwali Ward in Tanzania’s Mara Region. His work documented allegations by local residents that they were forcibly displaced to make way for a wildlife corridor linked to Serengeti National Park.
The report highlighted claims that compensation was inadequate, while homes, schools, and health facilities were demolished. Residents also alleged that some graves were exhumed without the consent of affected families.
An accredited journalist and creative professional, Kirati serves as Creative Lead within The Chanzo’s content production team. He joined the organization in late 2021 shortly after graduating from university. Beginning his career at The Chanzo as a videographer and graphic designer, he steadily advanced through the ranks, eventually becoming the leader of the outlet’s content production team.
This is not the first time Kirati has been recognized at the national level. During the 2023 EJAT awards, he was named the second runner-up in the Science and Technology Reporting category for the 2022 awards, marking an important milestone in his growing journalism career.
Speaking after the award, colleagues at The Chanzo described Kirati’s achievement as a testament to the power of visual storytelling and public-interest journalism in shedding light on issues affecting communities across Tanzania.
The Chanzo is a digital-first media initiative based in Tanzania, delivering trusted and independent public-interest journalism. Founded in July 2020 and officially launched in September 2020, the outlet was established by co-founders Joel Ntile, Khalifa Said, and Tony Alfred.
Kirati’s latest recognition adds to The Chanzo’s growing list of journalistic achievements and underscores the important role of photojournalism in documenting stories that shape public debate and accountability in Tanzania.
